The Apprentice Premieres on NBC

The Premise

On January 8, 2004, NBC aired the first episode of “The Apprentice,” a reality competition show in which sixteen contestants competed for a management position within the Trump Organization. Created by producer Mark Burnett, who had previously launched “Survivor,” the show depicted Trump as a decisive, all-powerful business titan who evaluated contestants’ entrepreneurial skills before delivering the show’s signature catchphrase: “You’re fired.”

The premiere drew approximately 20.7 million viewers, making it one of the highest-rated new shows of the television season. By its first season finale, viewership had climbed to over 28 million, establishing the show as a cultural phenomenon.

Manufacturing an Image

As detailed in a New Yorker investigation, Burnett’s production team carefully constructed Trump’s image on the show. At the time of filming, Trump’s business reputation was badly damaged by multiple bankruptcies and failed ventures. The Apprentice recast him as the embodiment of American business success, shooting in the gilded interiors of Trump Tower and presenting his name as synonymous with wealth and power.

The show’s editors selected footage that made Trump appear sharp, commanding, and insightful, even when his comments during boardroom scenes were rambling or contradictory. Former producers later said that the image of Trump presented on television bore little resemblance to the man they observed on set, but the constructed persona became, for millions of Americans, the real one.

Cultural and Financial Impact

The Apprentice ran for fourteen seasons on NBC, first in its original format and later as “The Celebrity Apprentice.” The show earned Trump an estimated $427 million, according to a New York Times investigation of his tax records. Beyond direct compensation, the show’s cultural reach allowed Trump to license his name to buildings, products, and ventures around the world at fees that dwarfed his previous earnings.

The show also established Trump as a figure with crossover appeal among demographics that had never encountered him before. For a generation of Americans, particularly those outside New York City, Trump was not the tabloid fixture of the 1980s and 1990s but the authoritative boardroom boss they watched every week on prime-time television. This manufactured image would prove to be one of the most valuable assets of his eventual political career.